The present invention relates to a fastening system for a vehicle seat with at least one padded part of foamed material. The padded part is surrounded by at least one upholstered part. The upholstered part is connected with at least one profiled strip serving as hooking means having hooking elements along its exterior periphery. A longitudinal channel in the padded part corresponds to the shape of the profiled strip.
A fastening system disclosed in DE 42 14 510 C2 includes tubular fastening strips with lateral recesses stitched on at some spacing from one another along the bottom of the upholstered part. The fastening strips attach the upholstered part to the padded part made of foamed material. These strips with recesses are also called stitched banners. Into each tubular-shaped fastening strip is inserted a profiled strip serving as hooking means with a cambered cross section, which embodies the hooking elements. The padded part has recesses extending correspondingly parallel and at some distance form the fastening strips and parallel to one another. Some plurality of double clamps are arranged in each recess. The double clamps are connected through screw connections with the padded part or are held therein by the foam. For anchoring of the padded upholstery part, the fastening strips with their profiled strips are introduced into the recesses of the padded part. The double clamp arrangements engage through the side apertures of the fastening strip and engage in a hooking engagement at the rear by hooking into the profiled strip with their camber-like cross section.
Such fastening system has a complicated structure and is costly to manufacture, because of the plurality of double clamps necessitated in the padded carrier. With intermittent thrust-like strains applied to the top of the vehicle seat pad, the passenger in the seat is not prevented from resting on the solidly constructed double clamp, to disturb the comfort of the seated passenger. Furthermore, undesirable noise disruptions are a problem with this fastening system.
A fastening system for a vehicle eat disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,607 includes a longitudinal channel, outside the upholstery part and adapted to the shape of the profiled strip. The channel serves in its longitudinal alignment as recess for the engagement of the hooking elements. The longitudinal channel extends along the seat frame of the vehicle seat, so that the upholstery part can be mounted securely only along the frame and cannot, for example, be stretched along fictive seams within the padded part of foamed material. The upholstery part is received between the profiled strip following the path of the longitudinal channel and the longitudinal channel itself. Clamp-like projections on the profiled strip press the upholstery part against the interior wall of the longitudinal channel. Tearing of the upholstery part out of these mounting points is not precluded, especially during impact stress on the padded part.
Objects of the present invention are to provide an improved fastening system for attaching an upholstered part to a padded part which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, will not disturb passenger comfort and will resist tearing of the upholstered part.
The foregoing objects are basically obtained by a fastening system for a vehicle seat with a padded part surrounded by an upholstered part. The fastening system comprises a longitudinal channel in the padded part. The channel has recesses in its longitudinal alignment to engage hooking elements. The recesses open into the longitudinal channel and are of chute-like configuration. A profiled strip cooperates directly with the foamed material of the padded part, so that the complicated massive structural double clamp arrangement can be deleted.
The arrangement requires a specifically selected fixing of the upholstery part on the padded part by the hooking elements of the profiled strip. The hooks stand in direct engagement with the recesses. Adhesive forces can occur between the finely porous foamed material and the profiled strip, reinforcing the secure connection. Because of the receiving and fitting of the profiled strip within the longitudinal channel of the padded part, no disturbance bothers the seated passenger, even in the case of impact-like forces, as can occur during the operation of a vehicle, which most extensively presses foamed material together. Considered in some detail, uncomfortable noise formations are also avoided.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.